Saturday, April 17, 2010

It's been a little over a week now since we landed in Tenerife, and what an adventure it's been! We are so thankful for the countless ways we've seen God's faithfulness, and for the many who are supporting us financially and through prayer so that we can be here.

The kids did fairly well with all of the flights getting here. They actually haven't seemed to skip a beat since we got here. They are super energetic and excited to be in new settings. They are slowly learning the new rules of apartment living (like, though shalt not throw matchbox cars off of the 3rd story balcony onto the restaurant below, and though shalt not scream in the hallways and push everyone's door bells). It's been cute hearing them say, "hola" and "adios" to people as well as learning to give "besitos" or kisses on the cheeks which is the custom here.

We are thankful to the Albrechts who have graciously let the five of us stay with them. We're also excited that God has provided us with a duplex to rent, starting next week! It far exceeds what we were hoping for, and I think it'll provide the kids with a very homey, fun, and safe place to grow the next few years.

Our days have been filled with getting to know people, learning the lay of the land, studying some culture, and mostly- with shopping for housing, transportation, cell phones, and now furnishings. It's enough shopping to make even the most avid shopper nautious!

It's been interesting seeing people's reactions to us having 3 kids and another on the way. In this culture, the average family has 1.1 kids, so they think we are quite the the oddity. We get gawked at and hear many crazy comments. Sadly, the "morning after" pill is readily available over-the-counter here, so family planning is quite simple.